If Jones doesn't get the immediate shot at Ngannou, isn't it kind of incumbent on him to start fighting at heavyweight? We just got a good luck at what can happen to invincibility when it steps way up. So, maybe, fight and establish yourself in the division?? It jeopardizes the spectacle of the title fight, I realize. But Jones is getting old and he's inactive. Since when is that any kind of positive?

yeah that seems dicey for building Jones/Ngannou if he is anything like his last few fights.

Not even sure who he could fight. Rozenstruik?

HW is so bad lol.....The best HW fighters besides Ngannou pretty much all entered the sport pre-2010. NFL/NBA just pay a lot better if you're a badass freak

Jones vs Gane? Might lose that 1 tho

I'm seeing a lot of analysis about how Jones will approach an Ngannou matchup, and in my book it all misses something blatant about the nature of the matchup in terms of Jones winning.

I think Jones approaches the whole thing with two things in mind: avoid the bomb obviously, and spend his entire strategy on looking for submission holds, trying to get some limb or neck in a tap spot for most any human. If so, you now have one of the great fight minds in fighting, with greatly improved strenght, studying Ngannou and shooting for this end. And he can get it. You can't perform when a limb is being torn off. See Joe Theismann. Jones is going for the vicious submission in this spot, and foregoing all standard point and general fighting strategy. It's his win. And its real.

Something we don't know about Ngannou. We know he's awesome, legit, smart, committed, the truth ... etc. What we don't know is what kind of champion he is, what kind of reign he is capable of, and specifically, how adaptable he is. If somebody comes at him with something different, what happens? Basically, on "The Truth" point, is he George Foreman/Mike Tyson kind of truth, whose mind is not adaptable when frustrated in his usual strategy? We didn't know Foreman could be blown over by a stiff breeze and not get up, and we didn't know Tyson was going to resort to biting ears and flagrantly head butting a tomato can.

What kind of champion is Ngannou mentally? Jones & Camp's mind versus Ngannou's nature. Jones becomes Gracie in the fight, parrying all offenses looking for the submission hold. No other offense. Well sort of.

Imagine a fight where Jones doesn't even throw back from the outside, but attempts to leap on the arm of the puncher in his follow thru. Jones the unconventional, from yesteryear, in a new form. Yeah, you got the power. What are you going to do when my whole fight plan is to dodge that, looking for submission angles only. Are you just the baddest dude around or an ongoing reigning champion solving difficult challenges?

The way I see it, if Conor is an A+ level draw, then the next tier of A level draws would be fighters like GSP, Lesnar, Rousey, and Khabib. Jones is the next tier down from that. He's one of the UFC's biggest stars but he has never broken through to produce monster #s.

If the UFC thinks this fight will sell they'll make it happen and Jones will get paid. The one thing about the UFC is that the megastars get paid VERY well. If you main event a PPV that does huge #s you'll get paid big time unless you're name is Donald Cerrone and you sign a terrible deal that ensures you get paid peanuts. The fighters that really get screwed over in the UFC are the main eventers that don't draw well and the undercard fighters.

I really have no clue how big of a draw Ngannou is. The #s from this latest PPV would be telling in that regard. Given the way he wins I'd expect his stardom to continue to grow but the idea that he's the UFC's Mike Tyson is absurd to me.

One thing I will say about Francis is that he's very likeable and he has a GREAT smile. IMO, Endeavor should be pushing hard for him to be in commercials. I'm not talking Toyo tire commercials. I'm talking mainstream commercials, insurance, cars, beer...if it can be sold, he should be in those commercials. If that were to happen, then I guess he'd sort of be like the UFC's George Foreman.

Francis Ngannou is the “A-side” in a potential match with Jon Jones. I view Ngannou as the modern day Mike Tyson of mma. 5 KO’s in a row. World Heavyweight UFC Champion.

Jon Jones has been a blip on the radar since the begging of the Mcgregor era. What has he done to draw the intrigue of all the new fans that have came along? This dates all the way back to 2015.

If I’m Dana, I’m paying Francis the lions share

Jon Jones can come out and dominate Ngannou and that might put him back in the limelight. He would have to take a pay cut to do so if I were in charge.

Deontay Wilder has 41 KOs in 42 wins and was undefeated going into his last match. He's not a Mike Tyson draw, so I'm not sure why a newly minted champion in Francis Ngannou would be. Mike Tyson was bigger than life. A ton of people still haven't even heard of Francis Ngannou.

I didn’t mean to insinuate that 100 millions of people are going to buy his PPVs. I don’t think he is that big of a draw yet.

I just find it laughable that Jones is asking for 100 million and thinks he should get the lions share. His career had been sidetracked by criminal behavior and his recent performance indicate that he might have been cheating all along. Nobody is going to be too bothered if this fight never happens.

I do think Jones should be considered one of the top 2 GOATS. Btw I think that discussion is funny considering modern mma only goes back to 2004-2005? Did people obsess over who was the greatest of all time baseball players in 1905-1910?

Jones is still the A side at this point though. Plus, Ngannou will probably fight for relative peanuts given his newness to being a PPV main eventer.

Don't take outrageous figures like $100 million seriously though. Jones said he would fight Tyson for $100 million. He also said he would accept $100 million from a Saudi prince to fight Conor McGregor. Jon Jones seems to really like that $100 million figure.

I also find the GOAT discussion to be silly.

Agree that Jones isn't on the level of the A's that you mentioned, but a lot of that has to do with opponents as well. 205 kinda sucked once he beat all the old legend types so he really had no one to fight. Most of the guys he beat didn't go on to do much after.

Also, at this particular time a matchup with him vs Ngannou he would be an A draw in that context. Both him and Ngannou really have no one else to fight where they can turn 2 B's into an A.

Like I said in a previous post, HW really sucks so they kinda need each other for a big score. Ngannou being closest thing UFC can get to Tyson is cool and all but there just isn't anyone to fight.

Diaz coming back to fight Edwards at 262 damn

Edwards should wash him easy, Diaz is from another era

Most interesting thing to me about it is that it's a 5 round, non-title, co-main.

That day's time has def come.

Might just be a Nate-fight thing tho, he's going to want 5 rounds ldo.

Colby Covington really screwing himself not accepting #1 contendor fights. He has become annoying and is more bark than bite.

Nate isn't a 170lber and will get run over, a Diaz vs Gaethje matchup would've been more fun.

Got .00000000000000 % clue about McGregor/Poirier III. Maybe that's a good thing as horseshoe is officially out, though I did have Ngannou.

More interestingly, I think Khabib involvement in coaching/managing ups the chances he will return to fighting. If the layoff is long I still got Conor knocking him out. Don't do it Khabib.

just saw a combined tv ad for mma and wrestling back to back portraying them like the same thing

the top is in boys

Why should III be any different to II?

McGregor has not evolved with the game and always been very one dimensional.

I haven't seen the betting line but if it's anything like II i'll be backing Dustin again.

McGregor looked pretty damn good in II. He just didn't account for leg kicks. I like McGregor but I'm shocked he's not a big underdog based on the result. I guess that's the McGregor effect so I'd stay away from betting this.

Fading Mighty Mouse today.

**** that guy.

I'll have a look at the line nearer to the time.

Not sure I agree McGregor is the favourite but i'm certainly not going to complain if the bookmakers want to price him as that.

Mighty Mouse fighting on TNT tonight in ONE's TNT debut

Eddie Alvarez is in the co-main

starts at 830 fwiw

Thanks for this. I heard about this a while back but totally forgot about it.

There's been a long history between MMA and pro wrestling. Pride FC had it's roots in pro wrestling and shared much of the pageantry of pro wrestling. Also many of their fighters were japanese pro wrestlers, not to mention future WWE champ Alberto Del Rio had his head knocked off by Cro Cop.

WWF had UFC greats Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn. Brock Lesnar and CM Punk came from WWE to the UFC. Bellator and TNA wrestling had some sort of deal together where the likes of King Mo would be on both shows.

There is some fanbase commonalities and a chance for both products to grow their base by doing crossovers. I'm fine with it as long as there is no fixing of fights.

Wow, damn. That's harsh. You mad cuz mighty mouse picked Jake Paul? Haters gonna hate.

And don't forget MINOWAMAN

what is the testing in ONE like? Alvarez and this other guy def look roided more than UFC 155ers

lol ONE on TNT starting out like the Fox debacle where JDS got the quick KO